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Socioeconomic Position, Race/Ethnicity, and Inflammation in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Socioeconomic Position, Race/Ethnicity, and Inflammation in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Nalini Ranjit, Ana V. Diez-Roux, Steven Shea, Mary Cushman, Hanyu Ni and Teresa Seeman
Circulation (New York, N.Y.), v 116(21), pp 2383-2390
20 Nov 2007
PMID: 18025402
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.706226View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Background— Low socioeconomic position is known to be associated with cardiovascular events and atherosclerosis. Reasons for these associations remain a topic of research. Inflammation could be an important mediating mechanism linking socioeconomic position to cardiovascular risk. Methods and Results— This cross-sectional study used data from the baseline examination of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a study of 6814 men and women 45 to 84 years of age. Race- and ethnicity-stratified regression analyses were used to estimate associations of household income and education with C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 before and after adjustment for infection and medication use, psychosocial factors, behaviors, adiposity, and diabetes mellitus. Low income was associated with higher concentrations of interleukin-6 in all race/ethnic groups. Percent differences associated with 1-SD–lower income were 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7 to 11), 6% (95% CI, 1 to 10), 8% (95% CI, 4 to 11), and 8% (95% CI, 3 to 13) for whites, Chinese, blacks, and Hispanics. Low levels of education were associated with higher levels of interleukin-6 only among whites and blacks (percent difference in interleukin-6 associated with 1-SD–lower education: 9% [95% CI, 6 to 12] among Whites, and 7% [95% CI, 3 to 10] among blacks). Similar patterns were observed for C-reactive protein. Adiposity was the single most important factor explaining socioeconomic position associations, especially among blacks and whites. A smaller effect was seen for psychosocial factors and behaviors in all race groups. Conclusions— Both household income and education are associated with inflammation, but associations vary across race/ethnic groups. Associations likely result from socioeconomic position patterning of adiposity and other factors.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#10 Reduced Inequalities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Peripheral Vascular Disease
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